EWU’s 1997 football team headed to hall of fame

Eastern Washington University’s 1997 football team, which compiled a 12-2 record and advanced to the semifinals of the NCAA Division I-AA football playoffs, will be inducted into the Eastern Athletics Hall of Fame on Oct. 6.

The team, which included two All-Americans, quarterback Harry Leons and defensive tackle Chris …

Eastern Washington University’s 1997 football team, which compiled a 12-2 record and advanced to the semifinals of the NCAA Division I-AA football playoffs, will be inducted into the Eastern Athletics Hall of Fame on Oct. 6.

The team, which included two All-Americans, quarterback Harry Leons and defensive tackle Chris Scott, will be honored at a breakfast and ceremony in conjunction with Eastern’s home football game that day against North Dakota.

After winning the Big Sky Conference title, the team advanced in the playoffs by defeating Northwestern State (40-10) and Western Kentucky (38-21) before falling 25-14 to Youngstown State in the semifinals. All three playoff games were at Albi Stadium.

The Eagles’ 12-2 finish was rivaled only by the 1967 team that went 11-1 and was runner-up in the NAIA playoffs as the most successful in school history before the 2010 Eagles went 13-2 and won the NCAA Division I championship.

“What made this team great were its dedication to itself, its dedication to success, and its dedication to creating a legacy,” said the ’97 team’s head coach, Mike Kramer, who is head coach at Idaho State. “We were ably led, possessed experienced talent and leaned on each other for big plays and big moments.”

Awards

Former Gonzaga University basketball All-American Courtney Vandersloot, a Kentwood High School graduate who was the No. 3 selection in the WNBA draft by Chicago and played in the All-Star game as a rookie, was named Female Athlete of the Year at the 77th Seattle Sports Star of the Year Banquet last week.

Vandersloot, who was unable to attend because she is playing professionally in Turkey, gave a recorded speech thanking her family and coaches for her success.

Bowling

A field of more than 80 is expected for the fourth annual Otto Bowl on Saturday at Valley Bowl, with proceeds benefiting the Mike Jarvis Scholarship Fund.

The memorial tournament is named for Jim “Otto” Hanson, who was a longtime friend of Jarvis. After Jarvis died, Hanson was instrumental in setting up a scholarship fund for deserving area high school seniors. When Hanson died, his family and friends took over to keep the fund growing.

The six-game tournament will be contested in scratch and handicap divisions, with prizes in both.

Info: Sandy Hanson, 448-9745.

College scene

For a second straight year, junior Cora Kellerman collected two of the five awards at the Eastern Washington volleyball team’s annual postseason awards party.

The 6-foot outside hitter was named Teammate of the Year, as well as earning the Eagle Award, given by the coaches to the player who best exemplifies the qualities valued by the team as a whole. Last season, Kellerman was also named Teammate of the Year, as well as Most Inspirational.

Senior libero Lindsey Petroni was selected by her teammates as the Most Valuable Player, junior setter Laney Brown was named Most Inspirational, and freshmen Kelsey Julian and Talia Fermantez shared the Most Improved Player award.

• Seattle University women’s tennis will rely heavily on Mead graduate Katrina Schwab during the 2012 portion of the 2011-12 season that started this weekend in the Inland Northwest.

Schwab, a four-time All-Greater Spokane League selection and State 4A doubles champion for Mead in 2007, is in her second season as captain of the Redhawks. Playing No. 1 in singles and doubles, Schwab compiled a 2-2 record in singles and 4-2 in doubles during the fall.

Scheduled to graduate in four years this spring in the five-year civil engineering program, Schwab received a special freshman award in tennis and academics at SU and was named to the Great Northern Athletic Conference all-tournament team as a sophomore and junior and has received weekly honors from both the conference and school during her career.

While at Mead, Schwab and partner Brita Stime placed sixth in state doubles in 2006 before winning it all in 2007. In Schwab’s senior year, she placed third in singles for the state co-champion Panthers. Stime is a junior playing for Gonzaga University.

Soccer

Four area boys were named to the 2B-1B all-state first team by the Washington State Soccer Coaches Association.

They are forwards Karl Muelheims, St. George’s; Austin Friedly, Northwest Christian; and Erik Muelheims, St. George’s; and defender Bruce Culbertson, St. George’s.

Two NWC players, Jacob Weaver, a forward, and Payton Gray, a midfielder, and Nate Graham, a defender, and Peter Worral, a goalkeeper, both from St. George’s, were named to the second team.

On girls teams, Laci Rennaker, a defender from Central Valley, was named 4A second team; Kendra Morscheck, defender, East Valley, was named to the 2A second team; and Laura DeWald, forward, Pullman, was 2A honorable mention. Taylor Lewis, midfielder, Newport, was second team in 1A and Tasha Luu, forward, Colville, was 1A honorable mention.

Softball

Nikki Ragsdale, a senior pitcher at Coeur d’Alene High School, has signed to play for North Idaho College, Cardinals coach Don Don Williams announced.

Ragsdale also has played for the Coeur d’Alene Crush summer select team for eight years.

“We are excited to have Nikki join our program,” Williams said. “She is an outstanding student-athlete that will represent our program well …”

Miscellany

The deadline for purchasing tickets for the 2012 Inland Northwest Sports Awards Youth Luncheon, scheduled for Feb. 15 in the Spokane Convention Center Ballroom, is Wednesday.

Finalists in junior male and junior female athlete, coach and team of the year categories will be recognized and winners announced.